Opinion on bitless bridles

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horseluver4eva

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im thinking of going bitless with my horse. Ive got reasons why and i know its the best for my horse and things but i was just wondering what other peoples opinions/experiences are with them before i buy one. thanks
 
I have a hackamore and a micklem and have used them in the past mainly when hunters have bruised or cut mouths.
I don't like them I saw too many show jumpers with damaged noses when I was younger I don't they are any kinder than bit and open to just as much potential for abuse .
 
I love mine, I use a dr cooks on an ex racer that was never happy in a bit, she's now completely happy, relaxed when ridden and she works beautifully in it when it comes to schooling and I have full control out hacking. Really rate it.
 
Cant quote on my phone... anyway thanks for your answers, but like a bit its only as harsh as the rider makes it?

ImmyS ditto to what youve said about ex racers, my ex racer is the complete same and when hes rode bitless he is so much better! ive been trying out a friends but wanted to hear others opinions before i bought one.
 
horseluver4eva said:
Cant quote on my phone... anyway thanks for your answers, but like a bit its only as harsh as the rider makes it?

ImmyS ditto to what youve said about ex racers, my ex racer is the complete same and when hes rode bitless he is so much better! ive been trying out a friends but wanted to hear others opinions before i bought one.
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Ps i bought the easytrek version of the dr cooks, same action, has a more padded nose band and is half the price ;)

And yes any piece of equipment can be harmful if abused and used incorrectly.
 
Just to be contrary I hate Dr Cooks but only because the two horses I tried one on didn't like the pressure on their whole head. One went better in a scawbrig, the other in a 'little s' hac which isn't too dissimilar from an English hackamore, just looks a bit better in my opinion!
 
I have the Easytrek bitless bridle and both myself and my horse love it. My cob has an exceptionally small mouth with a large fleshy tongue and anything in his mouth causes discomfort.
 
I'm using a flower hackamore on my pony at the moment. You can adjust it to alter the poll pressure. At the moment I have it adjusted more or less as a side pull which is the mildest setting and also gives the best steering.

My pony can be extremely strong, however he loves his bitless and goes very kindly in it- I have no problem pulling up from a canter out hacking. He is much more responsive to my seat and leg aids, especially in walk to halt transition, with the bitless, so that I am now able to use a lighter rein aid than ever. Perhaps because it makes me ride better as I'm more conscious of my seat and leg aids?

I am still using bitted sometimes too, as the bitless, I feel, lacks finesse for certain requirements.
 
I ride in both - school for dressage comps in a bit but hack in a micklem bitless. We have more 'disagreements' out hacking over how fast we go and I would rather have that arguement in a bitless than the bit. She is much easier and relaxed in the bitless and i feel that by keeping the bit purely for schooling and comps she doesn't fight the contact so much.
 
I changed to bitless in december with my ex racer. My horse was becoming dangerous - I had to really fight with him to get a bit in his mouth (usually took 3 people, or up to an hour when I was on my own) then one day I realised he was genuinely in fear of the bit and I felt cruel :(
To ride, he'd head shake, tilt his neck, grab the bit so I had no control etc.
He had his teeth done, back checked and new saddle fitted, flash used and removed, bits from french link snaffle, copper lozenge to straight bar pelham.. Nothing improved.
I ordered a sidepull bridle (one of the mildest) and did some groundwork with a head collar which went well and filled me with confidence that he'd like the sidepull.
First ride was fab - ears pricked, excellent brakes and steering, just really relaxed.
We now hack on roads and open spaces with no problems (he has a loose rein!)
I really recommend trying it to everyone, even if you don't have bitting problems :)
 
My boy went well in a hackamore, just worry about ultimate control in a 'situation' Fancy trying the Dr Cook's now though. How is the steering? My boy really gnashes on his bits!
 
Mollie is a head-shaker and a Dr Cook style (cheap copy on ebay ;)) has been the solution to her discomfort.

The control and steering is fine. I'm not a strong or confident rider but have no anxiety about controlling her in a "situation".
 
Ive just ordered the 'Matrix Pro' from the Bitless and Barefoot website, its made to measure and not cheap, but it can be altered into many variations of bitless... at the moment I ride my mare in a hackamore and she goes very well in it, but I want me stallion to go bitless too, so ordered it for him..
 
Just a word of caution, I tried my mare in a bitless bridle and definitely overdid it on the first session. She put her head down looking for the contact and I must have pulled it too hard so she got that rather surprising "hug" on her head. She gave an enormous buck, I tried to pull her round and did it to her again. I had concussion for a week. The one and only time she has bucked me in 2 years...:(
 
Thank you everybody! a lot of you seem to have had good experiences with them so i definetly will give it a try! unlike bits i dont know the different types of bitless bridles and have been trying my gelding in a flower hackamore. im going to try a few to find out which ones he prefers. What would you say was one of the mildest? he can be really strong especially on grass spaces and in jumping! but i dont want to use something too harsh either, im quite light handed so ill be as kind as possible whilst using one!
 
horseluver4eva said:
Thank you everybody! a lot of you seem to have had good experiences with them so i definetly will give it a try! unlike bits i dont know the different types of bitless bridles and have been trying my gelding in a flower hackamore. im going to try a few to find out which ones he prefers. What would you say was one of the mildest? he can be really strong especially on grass spaces and in jumping! but i dont want to use something too harsh either, im quite light handed so ill be as kind as possible whilst using one!
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Here's a list of most bitless bridles nd how they work

http://www.nationalhorseandponynetwork.co.uk/bitlessbridles.html
 
Shy goes well in his bit up to a point, and will then "YOW DOWN" or chow down after half an hour. I tried many bits, and it happened with all of them.

Due to teething and stuff, I occasionally used an English hackamore, and last month we made the switch full time. I have had to buy a short chain to use as a curb chain (read no brakes), but now we are sorted, it is fantastic.

The key is to be much gentler, and ride on a slightly looser rein... hackamores can be very severe, but when used properly, they are a communication tool, and excellent ones at that. Shy NEVER feels that curb unless he takes off, and tbh, now he knows it's there, I could really take it off.

Fitting is also crucial, with any bitless bridle - the facial nerves are very sensitive, and you have to know what you are doing.

Hope that helps. We are now treeless/bareback - bitless - barefoot, and the laughing stock of the county :p
 
Shysmum said:
Due to teething and stuff, I occasionally used an English hackamore, and last month we made the switch full time. I have had to buy a short chain to use as a curb chain (read no brakes), but now we are sorted, it is fantastic.
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I can fully understand that, mine was the same, and I have a chain with a buckle on each end, but like you, very rarely does she feel it, I can ride her pretty much on the buckle until we come to a turning where she knows if we go a certain way she will get home faster..lol
 
Hahaha, glad it's not just me. I ride bareback a lot, and do have real confidence in the hackamore. I think some horses just do not get on with bits. I asked my dentist last saturday if there was a reason for Shy to "yow down" as he put it, and he said that many horses are like that - having metal in a mouth is not natural for them. But no physical reason (massive tongue etc).... people just don't listen to what their horses are saying.

So that's it - but I will probably have to use a bit ( and saddle - albeit treeless :eek:) if we do any more showing.
 
Shysmum said:
Hahaha, glad it's not just me. I ride bareback a lot, and do have real confidence in the hackamore. I think some horses just do not get on with bits. I asked my dentist last saturday if there was a reason for Shy to "yow down" as he put it, and he said that many horses are like that - having metal in a mouth is not natural for them. But no physical reason (massive tongue etc).... people just don't listen to what their horses are saying.

So that's it - but I will probably have to use a bit ( and saddle - albeit treeless :eek:) if we do any more showing.
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It's not natural for them to be controlled by strapping stuff around their faces either, bitless is not more natural to the horse than being bitted it's exactly the same, not natural , as is wearing saddles (of any type ) having their teeth cared for so they can eat and don't die of starvation, living in paddocks ,being stabled ,going in trailers and lorries ,being groomed ,having vaccinations so they don't get tetanus I could make a very long list of things that are not natural to horses.
Including the horses themselves a product of our use .
 
I have done my dissertation on bitting, evasion and a small amount on bitless.

It's not natural, of course not... But if you have a horse which objects greatly to the bit, bitless bridles are a great choice. Something like the Dr Cooks bitless bridle spreads the pressure far better.

They may look complex, but I've also known a few horses to go superb in the myler combination as although it still has a bit, it also spreads the pressure elsewhere. I almost purchased a horse once who was ridden in this bit but we asked to try her in a snaffle also as I was wanting to compete in dressage and you'd of written her off as a ridden horse for safety reasons in the snaffle, yet was a lovely ride in the combination.

Worth looking into all the options out there.
 
Tiffany Blue said:
I have done my dissertation on bitting, evasion and a small amount on bitless.

It's not natural, of course not... But if you have a horse which objects greatly to the bit, bitless bridles are a great choice. Something like the Dr Cooks bitless bridle spreads the pressure far better.

They may look complex, but I've also known a few horses to go superb in the myler combination as although it still has a bit, it also spreads the pressure elsewhere. I almost purchased a horse once who was ridden in this bit but we asked to try her in a snaffle also as I was wanting to compete in dressage and you'd of written her off as a ridden horse for safety reasons in the snaffle, yet was a lovely ride in the combination.

Worth looking into all the options out there.
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A good answer and I should think you are a very useful person to know as I think bitting (or not as the case may be) is an absolute minefield!
 
Blimey Goldenstar - who on earth rattled your cage :confused:

Don't talk to me ( or anyone ) like that, so bloomin rude - you sound like everything has to be feral !! Deary me. UI is a useful tool.
 
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I tried a Dr Cooks, and I'm afraid that for a very strong cob, it was hopeless - and he hated the pressure around his head. I was not safe riding in it.
 
metalmare said:
A good answer and I should think you are a very useful person to know as I think bitting (or not as the case may be) is an absolute minefield!
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10,000 words later, endless books/journals later and lunging 30 horses later... It is more of a minefield than when I set out !!! :p
 
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Shysmum said:
I tried a Dr Cooks, and I'm afraid that for a very strong cob, it was hopeless - and he hated the pressure around his head. I was not safe riding in it.
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Shows that horses can prefer different types of bitless just like bitted horses prefer different types of bit. Every horse is an individual and its all trial and error.. :)
 
Shysmum said:
I tried a Dr Cooks, and I'm afraid that for a very strong cob, it was hopeless - and he hated the pressure around his head. I was not safe riding in it.
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Interesting to hear! I am tempted to try one as I’ve only ridden in a Hackamore, so it was hard to write about them just from books and journals.
 
I would certainly borrow one like I managed to. Shy's a sensitive lad, and was having NONE of it - it caused bucking, rearing and trying to run away - I think the feeling scared him. It's like having your whole head "hugged with pressure". With his hackamore, he's as happy as larry, and I know he is as safe as when he is bitted.

The thing is though, as with treeless saddles, you need to find what works for both of you.
 
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